Detroiters Are Humane Beings

Today's Detroit Free Press includes an article written by Corey Williams: "Tent city sprouts in shadow of downtown Detroit".

Williams wrote: "All told, about 16,200 of Detroit’s 680,000 residents — almost 2.4% — are believed to be living on the streets or in temporary shelters — and that doesn’t account for other types of homelessness, such as teens going from friend to friend and families living in motels."

I know Detroit is blessed with several church groups, nonprofit organizations and community shelters which are trying to help our people. Still, it is December. The resources are always scarce at this time of year while the needs are always growing.

Most U. S. cities have similar challenges. But many have chosen different solutions.
 

For the most part, Detroiters are trying to do what is right by helping each other. The people of Detroit have not written laws to force our homeless out of sight and out of town. Detroit police officers are not beating the tent people, tearing down their tents and shelters, taking their meager belongings, or putting them in jail. 

Perhaps it's because Detroiters know what foreclosure really means and the terrible toll that unemployment extracts from humane beings — people with souls – or the paralyzing wounds wrought by endless PTSD nightmares.

For many Detroiters, Depression.2 has endured for more than 10 years and the cold days of winter are still ahead.

But maybe, just maybe, if we can just help each other a little more, we will live to witness spring's promise and the warmth of summer one more time.

Great things are ahead for Detroit.

I know, because Detroiters are humane beings who really do care about their own.